AMORPHIS and SOILWORK live in Sofia

23 January 2019
news page

AMORPHIS

SOILWORK
JINJER
NAILED TO OBSCURITY

Universiada Hall, Sofia - 23 January 2019
words by: Nikola Shahpazov, photo: Orlin Nikolov
 
GALLERY 
 
We have to come clean – in the very beginning the live combo of AMORPHIS + SOILWORK + JINJER + NAILED TO OBSCURITY seemed a bit odd. Quite odd, actually. Apart from the four bands being legitimately loud and professionally metal, it was easier to point out the huge differences between them, rather than list any similarities.
 
In the end, all our concerns proved to be quite pointless. This gig was a smash mainly due to the fact that these bands come from different places (both musically and geographically) and have a very, very different history (AMORPHIS are formed way back in 1990, while JINJER started some 6 years ago). On top of that, stylistic variations and the differences in stage style and presence actually added to this great, 6-hour (yup, six hours straight!) concert experience.
 
 
Less than 60 minutes before the gig’s unusually early start, the atmosphere at *Universiada* is just right – the bands arrived early morning, soundcheck was done,

SOILWORK’s BJÖRN is bragging about his teenage dream about becoming a professional hockey player, AMORPHIS frontman TOMI JOUTSEN is chatting away with TANGRA MEGA ROCK boss VASSIL VARBANOV, while fans are already flooding the hall, harking to NAILED TO OBSCURITY’s plea not to start the show with an empty venue at hand. 
 
The Germans are tonight’s most unknown band and because of that – tonight’s biggest surprise. We’ve all been listening to their recently released fourth album ‘Black Frost’ intensely but it is live that NAILED TO OBSCURITY really grab our attention. Their very melodic and veeery melancholic death/doom reminds us of good ol’ KATATONIA (think ‘Brave Murder Day’ era), band frontman RAIMUND ENNENGA roars like a beast off a Brothers Grimm fairy tale and all in all, the show gets an unexpected, rather oldschool start.
 
 
The best thing about these 360 minutes of pretty much nonstop live music is the space and time every band on the bill is granted – even though AMORPHIS and SOILWORK are clearly the headliners, NAILED TO OBSCURITY and JINJER don’t have to rush and both play nice, long-enough sets.
 
Like Moldavians INFECTED RAIN, Ukrainians JINJER stick tightly to the “nasty alt metal + very beautiful and very beautiful frontwoman” formula. Despite their relatively short history, JINJER are already seasoned musicians that know how to grab the attention of the audience with vocalist TATIANA SHMAILYUK (minus traditional dreadlocks) totally dominates the stage. The hall is already packed with people sporting JINJER t-shirts and singing along with the tracks and the whole show looks spectacular even to grumpy old farts that aren’t likely to listen to this type of music in their own time.
 
photo: Peter Dimow 'Fraktura'
 
Music critics have already spoken – SOILWORK’s latest release ‘Verkligheten’ is one of their most hard-hitting yet. And it’s a privilege for us to see the band in their artistic prime. They, on the other hand, are already true metal veterans and know full well how to deliver the goods – their sets concertates on newer tracks (‘Stålfågel’ truly stands out), including obligatory older favourites like ‘Stabbing The Drama’ and ‘The Crestfallen’. BJÖRN’s enthuasiastic gesturing actually manages to stir a small mosh pit in front of the stage and things start getting messy and sweaty. Just like they should..
 
 
 
AMORPHIS wrap up this evening with a setlist that boasts confidence and strength. Unlike other cult European bands that are well into the third decade of their history, the Finns choose not to simply replay their 90s classics over and over and over but rather establish newer and newer songs as live favourites. That’s why this evening we hear just a one track off  ‘Tales From The Thousand Lakes’, not a single one off ‘Elegy’ (even ‘Am Universum’s ‘Alone’ is missing).

AMORPHIS focus on a selection off latest release ‘Queen of Time’ instead (with album opener ‘The Bee’ sounding particularly epic) plus concert classics ‘Sky Is Mine’, ‘Silver Bride’ and ‘House Of Sleep’
 
 
As duly noted in previous AMORPHIS live reports, the band stands out as continuously grand and unforgiving band that displays both cold professionalism and fiery belief in their own artistic concept.
 
And thus started the loud celebration of TANGRA MEGA ROCK’s 13th birthday bash. And great start and so much more to follow. Hold tight, guys and gals!
 
GALLERY 
 
Source: RadioTangra.com

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